Claiming Compensation from City Councils

If you live in a crowded city, sure enough, at some point of your 'walking' life, you tripped over on one of the pavements or sidewalks. Sidewalks in a state of disrepair are not an uncommon sight. Many people who suffer injuries due to slips, trips and falls on city sidewalks often want to complain and bring the civic authorities to task over their negligence. However, more often than not, we just dust ourselves and get back to our jobs. City councils are large organizations. To sue them in the court of law requires a lot time, money and effort. Over and above, with all their clout, they're sure to get away. If this is what you've been thinking too, then here's some news for you:

A particular city council ended up paying close to 2.5 million pounds as compensation to victims who were injured by tripping over uneven pavements. On an average, councils now are paying more money as compensation than ever before, with the average claim being around 1800 pounds. Makes you think re-paving the pavements could be cheaper. Thus, if you've suffered serious damages on city sidewalks, you could do well by claiming some compensation.

Claiming compensation from city council gets easier because the rules regarding roads and sidewalks are pretty strict. Did you know that if a stone juts out for more than an inch on the pavement, you could sue the council for endangering your life? (Okay, that may be taking it a little overboard) But if the stone you tripped over is 1 inch above the rest of the pavement, your claim holds ground. Similarly if potholes on a road are an inch deeper than the rest of the road, you could claim compensation (if the pothole has directly caused you injury)

Of course, councils try to wiggle their out by maintaining that they're not directly to blame. Potholes and uneven pavements can be caused by a number of reasons, and that councils cannot be fixing all the potholes and pavements of a city all the time. And of course the favourite: "some times citizens must learn to adjust." However, if you can prove that the council's negligence is even 51% responsible for your injury, your claim stands good. So, rush to your lawyer and find out your options. For city councils, it seems like the road to hell is indeed paved with uneven stones.


About the Author

A pavement trip claim is as good as an accident claim. Find out how to approach it the right way at claims4negligence.co.uk

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Mark Hudson




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